Around Ealing around_ealing_dec-jan-2018 | Page 10

HOUSING Councillor Jasbir Anand in the show flat at Alton Court in Hanwell Artist’s impression of the finished Alton Court Home delivery When it comes to housing you would be forgiven for thinking the council’s role was limited to allocating council homes, collecting rents and granting planning permission. Think again… D emand is very high for all types of housing and Ealing Council is fast becoming a major player in the local market, providing good quality homes to suit a range of budgets. The council is landlord to around 12,000 tenants, but has a further 12,000 families on its waiting list. With up to 40 new applications received every week, the reality is that fewer than 10% of those families will receive an offer of a council home in any given year because there are not enough to go around. 10 around ealing    December 2017 Of course, Ealing is not alone in having these housing challenges. It is the same across the country, and especially in London. However, what does set our borough apart is the council’s approach to tackling these problems. A NEW KIND OF HOUSING DEVELOPER Broadway Living is a housing company with a difference. What makes it different is that it is a subsidiary of Ealing Council – a separate legal entity wholly owned by the council. Creating Broadway Living has given the council greater powers and flexibility to build new homes and regenerate neighbourhoods. Unlike conventional council housing, these homes can be offered in a range of other ways, too – such as affordable housing, shared equity, private sale, private rent or discount rent. The company does not make profits to pay shareholders. Money made from the private sale and rent of new homes is ploughed back into building and regenerating much-needed affordable housing in Ealing. And, unlike private